Lewis Hamilton thought he was joining the ‘Instagram’ version of Ferrari, ex-Red Bull driver says

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Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari created a seismic reaction around the world, particularly on social media.

In fact, Hamilton broke an F1 record with his first Instagram post as a Ferrari driver. Posing outside of Enzo Ferrari’s house with an F40 behind him, it became the most-liked F1-related post of all time.

It surpassed Charles Leclerc’s post from Monza 2024 after he claimed victory in front of the Maranello outfit’s home crowd. It highlighted how much hype there was around Hamilton and his move to the most successful team in the sport’s history.

But eventually, reality has to kick in, and that is what has brutally happened to the seven-time champion in 2025. After 21 races, he is still without a podium or a pole position for Ferrari, winning only the Sprint race in Shanghai.

Robert Doornbos says Lewis Hamilton thought he joined the ‘Instagram’ version of Ferrari as he slams 2025 season

Hamilton’s Ferrari record is ‘unworthy’ of a seven-time champion, according to Mike Hezemans. He has only finished in the top five on six occasions in 2025.

Former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos had an equally brutal take on Hamilton’s season on The Pit Talk Podcast. He says the Brit is having ‘one of the worst’ seasons from a Ferrari driver in history, having expected to join the ‘Instagram’ version earlier in the year.

He said: “Living in a nightmare. I mean, he said the dream of signing for this organisation was, in my mind, massive. The reality hits different. It’s a bit like Instagram versus reality, you know these pictures.

“I mean, this was not what he expected or Ferrari expected. The qualifying pace is not there. The race pace is not there. The communication is not there. The energy is not there.

“I mean, it’s been one of the worst Ferrari driver campaigns in history. And we’re talking about the seven-time world champion.”

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Has Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 season really been that bad?

Sitting sixth in the standings with just 148 points, 66 fewer than teammate Leclerc – who has seven podiums to his name – Hamilton’s 2025 campaign has not been good, to put it lightly.

But Doornbos’ claim that it is ‘one of the worst’ seasons from a Ferrari driver is slightly far-fetched. This is especially considering that Hamilton has had a lot against him in 2025, particularly the team’s poor development choices for his car and operational errors.

Ferrari’s chairman believes that it is down to the Brit, with John Elkann telling Hamilton to ‘talk less’ and focus more on his driving. He says that the engineers have improved the car and that it is down to the drivers to get results.

The reality is that Ferrari have struggled to find the right balance with the SF-25. Hamilton’s performances have not stood out, but he can only do so much with a machine that lacks performance and a team that does not listen to him.

Elkann should blame Fred Vasseur for the team’s failings, as he pushed for upgrades to the car against Hamilton’s wishes that did not work and caused friction within the team. As 2025 nears its end, the seven-time champion will be desperate to see improvements in 2026.